Powering the Next Generation of Bus Mobility: Highlights from the UITP India Bus Conference 2026
The UITP India Bus Conference 2026 held on 6-7 August 2026 in New Delhi, India, brought together policymakers, public transport authorities, bus operators, industry leaders, technology experts and mobility practitioners to explore how cities can build future-ready, sustainable and passenger-focused bus networks.
Organised by UITP India, with the kind support of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, the conference witnessed participation from across India and beyond – from Jammu and Kashmir to Meghalaya, Delhi to Kochi, and from the UAE to Thailand. Over two days, the conference provided a platform for stakeholders to exchange knowledge, share practical experiences and explore how cities can make bus services more efficient, reliable, sustainable and passenger-focused.
Day 1: Practical Insights for Sustainable Bus Mobility
The first day of the conference, dedicated to the Practitioners’ Workshop, focused on practical challenges and solutions for delivering efficient, sustainable and passenger-focused bus services.
The workshop commenced with the session “From Evidence to Action: Co-Creating Future-Ready Bus Systems Through Commuter-Informed Roadmaps”. Ms Rhea Karan, Associate Program Manager, Purpose, presented an overview of the topic, followed by a panel discussion featuring Ms Harpreet Bagga, Co-CEO and Partner, Purpose; Mr Anthony George, Chief Traffic Manager – Operations (CTMO), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC); Mr G.T. Prabhakar Reddy, CTMO, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation; Ms Nidhi Madan, Director – Cities and Urban Landscape, Raahgiri Foundation, and Ms Venika Menon, Manager – Civic Policy and Partnership, Young Leaders for Active Citizenship. The discussion highlighted how data, evidence and commuter insights can support more inclusive, resilient and responsive urban bus planning, and witnessed the launch of the Charter of Recommendations for BMTC.
The technical visit to Kushak Nallah Bus Depot, featuring a presentation by Mr Ajay Sharma and Mr Ajay Malik, PMI Electro Mobility, gave participants first-hand insights into depot operations, fleet management and electric bus infrastructure. The visit provided a valuable opportunity to connect strategic discussions on sustainable mobility with the practical realities of operating and managing modern bus fleets.
The afternoon session, “Navigating Procurement & Management Hurdles in Urban E-Bus Fleets”, explored the practical challenges of procuring and managing GCC-operated electric buses.
Expert presentations by Mr Amit Hitkari, Associate Vice President – Road Transport, Delhi Integrated Multimodal Transit System (DIMTS) Limited, and Mr Venkata Srinivas, Head – eBus, Convergence Energy Services Limited, set the stage for interactive discussions, followed by group activities designed by UITP and conducted with the support of Mr A. Shrinivas Rao, Former Deputy General Manager – Transportation Engineering, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking. Participants shared experiences, discussed common challenges and explored practical approaches to strengthening e-bus deployment and fleet management.
Day 2: Insights Shaping the Future of Bus Transport
Day 2 brought together a wider group of stakeholders from across the public transport ecosystem for the main UITP India Bus Conference 2026.
The programme opened with the Inaugural Session where Ms Rupa Nandy, Head of UITP India gave the Welcome Remarks and showcased the first glimpse of the UITP Summit 2027 launch video. The session underscored the importance of international collaboration and knowledge exchange where Ms María Fernanda Ortiz Carrascal, Chair of the UITP Bus Division and Secretary of Mobility of Bogotá, shared a special recorded message with participants, highlighting the role of global cooperation, innovation and shared learning in advancing sustainable and resilient bus systems.
The session continued with the Introductory Remarks by Mr Suraj Kanojia, Energy Advisor, GIZ; Inaugural Address by Ms Ranjana Deswal, IAS, Chief Executive Officer, DIMTS Limited and the District Magistrate, Central, Government of NCT of Delhi; and Keynote Address by Mr Upendra Traipathy, IAS (Retd.), Honorary Advisor (Climate Change) to Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka & Climate Ambassador of Karnataka.
Upendra Traipathy, IAS (Retd.)
The conference centred on a key question: how can cities build future-ready bus systems that better meet passenger needs while responding to growing urban mobility and sustainability challenges?
This question shaped the Plenary Session, “Next-Generation Bus Transit – Policy, Innovation, and Smart Operations”, chaired by Ms Swati Khanna, Senior Sector Specialist – Urban Development and Mobility, KfW. The session brought together Ms Avny Lavasa, IAS, Secretary, Transport Department, Government of Jammu and Kashmir; Mr Y. Nagi Reddy, IPS, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Telangana State Road Transport Corporation; Mr Rajneesh Rana, Head (Convergence), Convergence Energy Services Limited; Ms Naphasorn Lamthong, Chief Marketing Officer, Thai Smile Bus Group, Thailand; and Mr Gurmit Singh Taneja, Joint Secretary & Chairman, CMVR Committee, Bus & Car Operators Confederation of India. Together, the panellists explored the policies, innovations, emerging technologies and operational shifts needed to transform bus transit into next-generation, sustainable and passenger-focused mobility solutions for Indian cities.
The first technical session, “Smart Planning and Management of Urban Bus Fleets”, moderated by Ms Mahak Dawra, Transport Infrastructure Advisor, GIZ, brought together perspectives from across the public transport and technology ecosystem. Speakers included Mr Sanjay Kumar Biswal, IAS, Additional Secretary, Commerce & Transport (Transport) Department, Government of Odisha and General Manager (Operations), Odisha State Road Transport Corporation; Mr Gokul T.G., Additional General Manager (Urban Transport), Kochi Metro Rail Limited; Mr Paresh Dhiren Kumar Adhia, General Manager, Rajkot Rajpath Limited; Mr Amegh Gopinath, Associate Director, Deloitte; and Ms Aakanksha Vaish, Lead – Engineering Solutions & Business Development, Microgrid Labs India Pvt. Ltd. The session demonstrated how data, technology and operational expertise, when brought together, can support better decision-making, optimise fleet management and help cities deliver more efficient and reliable bus services.
The second technical session, “Building the Digital Backbone of Modern Bus Networks with ITMS & AI”, was moderated by Dr Ravi Gadepalli, Partner, Transit Intelligence LLP, who also contributed to the discussion as a speaker. The session featured further insights from Dr Dheeraj Bhardwaj, Vice Chair, Door2Door Mobility Holding & Founder, Sentient Cities, UAE; Mr Yogesh K. Khanduja, Associate Vice President – IT, DIMTS Limited; Ms Jalpa Jain, Director, Aadinath Bulk Private Limited; and Dr Rahul Goel, Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. The discussion explored how Intelligent Transport Management Systems (ITMS), artificial intelligence and real-time data can enable smarter decision-making, improve operational efficiency and create more responsive, connected and passenger-focused urban bus networks.
The final technical session, “Steering the E-Bus Mobility Revolution”, was moderated by Mr A. Shrinivas Rao, who also contributed as a speaker. The session featured additional perspectives from Ms Naphasorn Lamthong; Mr Ashish Anand, Senior General Manager, Jammu Smart City Limited; and Mr G.T. Prabhakar Reddy. The discussion explored strategies for scaling up electric bus deployment while maintaining service quality and operational efficiency, with a focus on practical approaches to fleet electrification, infrastructure, operations and the wider transition towards sustainable urban mobility.
The Road Ahead: Turning Insights into Action
The 2026 edition of the conference reinforced a clear message: the next generation of bus mobility will be shaped not by any single solution, but by how effectively cities bring together policy, operations, technology, electrification and passenger needs.
Across two days, the discussions moved from practical realities of operating and managing bus services to wider transformations across the sector. From smarter fleet planning and digitalisation to e-bus deployment and passenger-focused service delivery, the conference highlighted the need to translate innovation and ambition into solutions that work on the ground.
Just as importantly, the conference demonstrated the value of collaboration. By bringing together public transport authorities, operators, policymakers, industry, technology providers and international experts, it created a platform to exchange experiences, learn from different contexts and identify practical approaches that can help cities deliver more efficient, reliable and sustainable bus services.
We extend our sincere gratitude to our valued partners for their trust, support and collaboration in making the conference possible. We gratefully acknowledge the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, for its kind support; GIZ as our Premier Partner; JBM Group, Delhi Integrated Multimodal Transit System (DIMTS) Limited, and Purpose as Supporting Partners; and Motorindia and Sustainable Bus as Media Partners. Their continued commitment and contribution were instrumental in bringing together stakeholders from across the public transport ecosystem and enabling meaningful dialogue, knowledge exchange and collaboration.
As India continues to invest in and modernise its public transport systems, bus transport will remain at the heart of sustainable urban mobility. The conversations at this conference provided a strong foundation for continued collaboration and for building future-ready bus systems for connected cities.